What You Wanted
by HoneyBooBoo93
Summary: After crossing paths with five-year-old and recently orphaned Kurt Howard, Elizabeth Hummel can't help but fall in love with him. Unable to get pregnant on her own, she is determined to win over her hesitant husband and finally become a mother to little Kurt, willing to do whatever it takes.
1. Chapter 1

The first Monday of each month was insignificant for most people. But for Elizabeth Hummel, they were her favorite days to go to work. Waiting for five o'clock to roll around was never easy on those days. Sometimes she was even tempted to clock out on her lunch break, and spend her entire afternoon up in pediatrics, reading to the kids.

It had been her friend's idea, really. Elizabeth's coworker had a son that had to be admitted to the hospital after a complicated surgery, so the administration staff had taken turns going to visit him, so his mother could work and make sure he didn't get lonely at the same time. Even after he was discharged, Elizabeth loved spending time with the children, so once a month she and four of her coworkers stayed two hours after work to read and hang out with the kids whose parents weren't able to visit them all day.

Elizabeth loved the interaction, even if it was only for a couple of hours each month. Children were her passion, and she longed to have some of her own one day.

She and Burt had tried to get pregnant for over two years, until the doctor explained it was unable to happen, no matter what they tried. Naturally they were heartbroken, but Elizabeth didn't want to give up. She looked into adoption, even though her husband wasn't too fond of that idea. He claimed the process took too long, and wanted to raise a child that biologically belonged to them.

So they were in a rut. There weren't really any other options, but for the time being, spending two hours a month in the hospital with the little children helped her feel enough like a mother.

That was why she looked forward to it more than her coworkers, who all had at least one child of their own. By the time five o'clock hit, she was ready to go, and just had to wait on her friends. Elizabeth Hummel had never been very patient.

They took the elevator up the pediatrics floor, where the head nurse always assigned them a child who didn't have any visitors.

"Hummel, take room 311. Kurt Howard, five years old," the heavyset woman rattled off, pointing in the direction of the room. Elizabeth happily made her way down the corridor. The younger children were always her favorite.

She knocked on the door lightly before pushing it open, in case the child was asleep. She remembered the nurse had said Kurt was five, but Elizabeth was certain she was mistaken. Kurt couldn't be any older than three, maybe four. He was absolutely tiny, and the twin-size hospital bed made him look even smaller.

"Hi, Kurt," she said, looking around the room. There were no balloons, no flowers, _nothing._ It was like he had no family at all.

"Who're you?" Kurt asked, pulling his blanket up higher. The poor thing looked terrified, like she was about to hurt him. "Are you a doctor?"

Elizabeth pulled a chair up next to his bedside. He was tiny, but his blue eyes were as big as saucers, his little chin trembling.

"I'm not a doctor," she assured him. "My name is Elizabeth. I work downstairs, but I'm not a doctor. I take care of the hospital's money."

"Oh," he peeped, relaxing ever so slightly. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice the navy blue cast on his left arm, and the array of stitched up wounds he sported.

"I brought some books." Elizabeth changed the subject and laid out the small collection of picture books she brought with her every time came up to read. "Do you feel like reading? You can pick whichever one you want."

Kurt pulled his blanket up over his head. It appeared to be his only personal possession in the room.

"I don't wanna read," he said, his voice muffled. Elizabeth couldn't tell what was wrong with him, but something was bothering him, and it wasn't just his broken arm.

She gently tugged the blanket down, expecting Kurt to giggle or at least crack a smile. The child remained solemn, though, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Elizabeth instantly felt guilty. Normally the children loved whenever someone came to spend time with them, but Kurt didn't seem to want any part of it.

"What's the matter, honey?" she asked. Kurt held his blanket close and cried into it.

"I don't like it here," he confessed, staring down at the mattress. Elizabeth tried to rub his back, but Kurt twisted away, so she decided just to give him some space. She couldn't help but wonder where his parents were, and seeing him cry made her heart hurt. Kurt seemed miserable and lonely, and no one had even brought him any gifts to help his feelings.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth soothed, taking his blanket and wrapping his around him. She brushed his tears away with her thumb and stroked his light brown hair- the same shade as her own- so it wouldn't be in his eyes. "Do you want me to stay here with you? I can stay so you're not all alone. Don't cry, Kurt."

Kurt hiccupped and instantly went silent, his eyes widening even more. Elizabeth wasn't sure what she said to make him behave like that, but the visit wasn't starting off very well.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, looking up into Elizabeth's eyes.

"What're you sorry for?" she asked, slightly confused. "You haven't done anything wrong."

Kurt shrunk back like he was embarrassed. "Mommy gets mad when I cry. You're not mad?"

Elizabeth could tell right then that Kurt's family situation certainly wasn't typical. "I'm not mad at you at all," she assured him. "It's okay to cry, I promise."

Kurt seemed to relax now that he knew he wasn't in trouble. Elizabeth tried to rearrange his pillows behind him to make him comfortable, but the little boy still seemed to be in some pain.

"Can you stay here?" Kurt asked sheepishly, allowing Elizabeth to tend to him. "You're nice."

Elizabeth smiled at him and agreed to stay. Kurt was awfully sweet, even though his home life sounded a little rough.

"Me and my mommy and daddy were driving home, and my daddy was driving bad and yelling at Mommy, and she told him to stop and let her drive, but him wouldn't stop, a-and I was crying, and then _crash_ and then the doctor said I was in the hospital," Kurt explained dramatically, even though Elizabeth hadn't asked for an explanation.

His story however _did_ clear up some assumptions she had about his parents. His dad sounded like an alcoholic, and something definitely wasn't right if Kurt got in trouble for crying.

"Mrs. Walden said my mommy and daddy can't come back," Kurt went on, as if it didn't even phase him. "But she said she's gonna find me a home to live in, with new parents and a new house and new toys. Our 'partment was yucky."

"Who is Mrs. Walden?" Elizabeth asked. Kurt was certainly a very vocal child. She had a feeling he was never allowed to talk so much before.

"She's my _social worker_ ," Kurt said, having to sound out the last two words. "She was here today."

Elizabeth nodded along with his little story, and was glad to see him not as upset.

"She'll be able to find you a wonderful home," Elizabeth told him. She didn't like the idea of someone as young and as precious as Kurt being placed in a foster home, but there didn't seem to be any other places for him to go. He deserved solid and supportive parents, something Kurt had obviously never had before. And while Kurt just accepted it, Elizabeth longed for some way to help him.

"The nurses hurt me a lot with needles," Kurt complained. "That's why I don't like it here."

Elizabeth noticed the large IV tube coming from his right hand, and he had most likely been given shots when he received his numerous stitches.

"I know those hurt," she agreed. "But they're doing that so they can help you. The needle in your hand is so nothing hurts. If you didn't have that, your arm would probably hurt a lot more than it does right now."

"I breaked my arm," Kurt said matter-of-factly. He almost sounded like he was _proud_ of it. And I got stitches and th'urgery on my tummy, but the doctor thinks I have affection."

It took Elizabeth a minute to figure out what he meant by that. His cute little lisp and terrible grammar didn't stop him from talking a mile a minute. She was just glad that Kurt was comfortable around her. It was obvious that he trusted her.

"Affection? I think you mean _an infection_ ," she correction, laughing a little at how purely innocent he was.

"Oh." Kurt thought about that for a few seconds. "Well, I got one of them. The doctor gave me _antibiotics._ " He sounded out each syllable to the word carefully.

"Those will help," Elizabeth said. Kurt was too sweet, and she wished she could stay with him longer. Visiting hours would end soon, but she found herself already attached to the little boy.

"Yeah," he shrugged, sticking his thumb in his mouth. Elizabeth took note of how pale he seemed, and hoped the infection he mentioned wasn't serious. Kurt seemed tired, though, so Elizabeth tried to wind him down.

"Would you like to read now?" she asked him. "I'll read you a book, or if you're too tired then I can just sit here with you."

Kurt pointed to the books still on the bed, and he made his bed sit up so he could see the pictures easier. Elizabeth read him two and a half books before his eyelids began to droop, and she quietly closed the book got up to go, even though she wished she could stay with Kurt all night long. Thinking of leaving him all by himself was heartbreaking, but only family members were allowed to stay overnight with patients.

"Don't leave yet," Kurt whined, barely awake. He had taken his thumb out of his mouth and reached up his good arm for her. Elizabeth smiled and turned back around. She sat by his side and set her books up on his bedside table.

"I'll leave my books here for you to look at later," she told him. "You need to go to sleep, Kurt. It's almost eight o'clock."

He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, and he let Elizabeth rub his back.

"Are you gonna come back?" Kurt asked, his voice light and sleepy.

Elizabeth paused for a second. She was certainly willing to come up and see him as often as she could. Besides, who else was going to visit him?

"I can come back tomorrow," she told him. "I can't stay here tonight, but I'll be back tomorrow. Would you like that?"

Kurt nodded, and Elizabeth tucked him in with the sheet and his blanket up by his face.

"Thank you," he mumbled. Elizabeth turned off the lamp and left him to rest, just hoping he would sleep peacefully.

She left for good and walked out to the parking garage alone, thankful it was still light outside. It was early June, and the weather was wonderful.

But even on the drive home, Elizabeth still couldn't get Kurt off her mind. He truly had no family, nowhere to go. That was horrible to think that he was only five and had already lost both of his parents, even though they sounded horrible, Kurt was probably more scared than he had seemed.

She just couldn't wait to see him again the next day. Elizabeth made a mental note to stop by the hospital gift shop and buy him some balloons to cheer him up. She could be his mom, at least until he left the hospital and went into someone else's care.

Burt was already at home by the time she arrived. She squeezed her small Toyota sedan into the garage next to her husband's truck and walked inside the house. She set her purse down and found Burt in the living room, watching a baseball game with the dog on his lap.

"I'm home!" she called. She was just feet away, but could tell her husband was thoroughly engrossed in the game. Surprisingly, he paused the TV and stood up to greet her.

"You're home late," he said, his tone slightly worried. Elizabeth appreciated his concern, but her mind was elsewhere. "I thought you left at seven?"

"I was supposed to," she sighed. "Let's eat dinner at the table tonight. I'll tell you about it."

Burt followed her into the dining room. They rarely ate in there, unless it was a holiday and they had company over, or they were discussing something serious. Kurt was important enough to her to be discussed over the dining room table.

It turned out that her husband had picked up some takeout food on his way home, since Elizabeth wasn't around to cook that evening. They ate together, and she began to tell him about Kurt.

"He's five, but if you looked at him you'd think he was much younger. He looks like he could be our child. He's got my hair and eyes, but he's just as stubborn as you. Anyway, he was in a car wreck and his parents died. He's got some rough injuries and is going to be in the hospital for awhile, I think."

"Mmm," Burt murmured. Elizabeth could tell he knew where she was going with their conversation, but she continued anyways.

"He's got a social worker trying to put him in a foster home when he leaves the hospital. But, Burt, he's too young to just be thrown into the system. He needs a permanent home and family, especially after what he's been through. His dad was an alcoholic and his mother abused him."

"Did he tell you all this?" her husband asked skeptically.

"Well, no, but you could tell. He started to cry and thought I was mad at him, and he said his mother got mad whenever he cried. His dad was the cause of their car wreck. I think he was abused and neglected."

Burt looked at her doubtfully, but Elizabeth stood by what Kurt had told her. She knew it was risky to assume those kinds of things, but something about his childhood was definitely _not_ normal.

"I'm just saying, he would benefit from a permanent family," Elizabeth concluded. She knew trying to talk her husband into adoption was a hopeless endeavor. And, there was the fact that she had only known Kurt for a day.

"I don't think you should rush into this," Burt warned. He didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic as Elizabeth was, but she was confident she could win him over.

"I won't," she promised. "But you need to be open to this, okay? Please? Kurt has no other family, and I'm certain I'm the only one that's visited him in the hospital. He just needs some company right now. But will you just consider thinking about going for it? Adopting is really our only option if we want to be parents, whether you like it or not."

She had tried not to be too harsh, but couldn't tell by his expression if her husband was upset or just thinking.

"I'll think about it," he agreed. "Just get to know him a little better, first. It sounds like you already love him, and there's nothing I can do about that."

Elizabeth Hummel _was_ truly already head over heels for Kurt, but was even more ecstatic that Burt had agreed to consider what their options were with him. She wasn't about to just let Kurt fall into foster care and never hear a word about him again. Not if she could help it. Kurt Howard could just possibly be exactly what their little family needed.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I've had this story in the works for about a year, but I haven't really had the time to get around to finishing it until now! It's looking like it will be thirteen chapters, and of that I've finished eleven. Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning felt like an eternity waiting for the lunch hour to start. Elizabeth sat at her desk, admittedly not getting anything done. Kurt had been the last thing on her mind the night before and the first when she woke up. She hoped he hadn't given up on her coming back. Elizabeth Hummel never broke promises.

When twelve noon hit, she was up in pediatrics within minutes. Elizabeth was well-known by the pediatrics staff, so she signed right in and headed down to room 311.

Not surprisingly, Kurt was alone. He was on his back, thumb in his mouth as usual. He smiled when he saw her enter, though, and Elizabeth went in to hug him gently.

"You came back." He sounded surprised. Elizabeth sat by him and brushed his hair back with her fingers.

"Mm hmm. I told you I would," she reminded him. Kurt didn't seem as lively as the night before, so she assumed he was just tired or didn't feel well. "Are you feeling okay today?"

Kurt shrugged his shoulders and held his blanket a little closer. He reached up his good hand, and Elizabeth eagerly took it in hers.

"I'm thleepy," he lisped. "I took a nap."

Elizabeth could see the exhaustion on his face, and briefly considered leaving him alone so he could rest some more. But he didn't seem to want to let go of her hand anytime soon, so she remained for the time being.

"Where'd you get that?" Kurt asked, pulling his hand away and pointing at Elizabeth's wedding ring. Elizabeth tugged it off and let him hold it.

"It's my wedding ring," she explained patiently as Kurt examined it. "My husband gave it to me when we got married. He has one, too, but it doesn't have any diamonds."

"Whoa." Kurt was fascinated, and carefully handed her the ring back. "What's your husband's name?"

Elizabeth was surprised by his level of curiosity, but chalked it up to him being bored and tired.

"His name is Burt," she told him. "We have a puppy, too. His name is Charlie."

Kurt's eyes lit up at the mention of the dog, and he launched in to more questions about him.

"What's he look like? I always asked Mommy for a puppy, but she said no cause they were 'spensive and our 'partment didn't let them in. They didn't let smoking people in, either, but Daddy always broke that rule. I told him no but he told me to go to my room."

Elizabeth squeezed his little hand when he told her that, but Kurt just shrugged as if it weren't a big deal. She couldn't imagine what else he had been through in his five years.

"I can bring you a picture of Charlie, tomorrow," Elizabeth offered, trying to change the subject. "He's white and small, but he barks a lot. If you ever met him, I think you'd like him."

She tried to ignore the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind about _what if_. What if Kurt _did_ get to come home with them one day and meet Charlie? She couldn't get her hopes up and be heartbroken. Not again.

Kurt smiled, though he still seemed unenthusiastic. "Bring a picture," he said. "And come back tomorrow."

Elizabeth smiled and let go of his hand, grateful for any excuse to come see Kurt again.

"I will," she promised him. "I'll come back tomorrow and bring a picture of Charlie with me. I need to go back to my work here in a little bit. Do you think you can fall asleep?"

Kurt returned his thumb to his mouth and exhaled heavily through his nose, blinking slowly.

"I dunno," he mumbled. Elizabeth fluffed his pillow for him, and Kurt seemed to be able to relax. She could tell he was tired, but was fighting sleep as hard as he could. She held his hand, though, until his little mouth drooped open and his fingers went limp in hers.

She stayed until she was certain he was completely asleep, and then returned back to her office, already looking forward to her next visit with him.

The next day, she wasn't able to manage a visit until after work at five. Elizabeth felt terrible, but tried to make up for it with some new books and videos she had purchased the night before.

She hurried up to Kurt's room as soon as she could, but as soon as she laid eyes on him, she frowned.

Kurt sat up in his bed, his arm still resting on the little pillow. Kurt held his blanket in his arms and shivered violently, his eyes wet with tears of discomfort.

"Kurt, honey, what's wrong?" she asked, instantly setting down his gifts and trying to comfort him. His skin was warm to the touch, and his round little cheeks were flushed pink.

"I feel funny," he peeped, curling his knees up to his chest. Elizabeth got him some water from the little bathroom connected to his room and helped him lie back and get comfortable.

"I brought you some things," she said softly, in an attempt to distract him from how bad he was feeling. "I got you some more books to read and videos to watch. Oh- and I found a picture of my husband and Charlie."

She handed Kurt the photograph and laid the books and movies on the foot of his bed for him to look at later.

"Charlie looks like a big marshmallow," Kurt decided. Elizabeth laughed and let him keep the picture. He didn't feel up to saying much, so Elizabeth read him his new books and just let him sit back and listen. He seemed to be doing okay, until it was dinnertime.

The cafeteria worker brought Kurt's food in and set it up on the tray for him, but he seemed disinterested in eating, and tried to get Elizabeth to take it away.

"I don't want it," he pouted, beginning to get upset again. Elizabeth wanted to save them both from the inevitable meltdown that was brewing, but she knew he needed to eat, especially if he had a fever.

"What if you just tried just a few bites?" she coaxed, fixing up a bite of peas for him. "Do you like peas?"

"No," Kurt grumbled, shaking his head. His chin quivered, and so Elizabeth backed off. It wasn't the end of the world if he didn't eat one meal. Even though he was horribly tiny, the last thing she wanted to do what upset him.

"You don't have to eat it," she gave in. "If you don't feel good, you can just rest instead. I'll stay here with you for a little bit longer before I need to go home."

"Don't leave yet," Kurt worried, grabbing onto her hand and finally starting to cry. Elizabeth stroked his hair soothingly as she gently tried to calm him down. It was just so saddening to see how much worse he seemed now than on Monday, when she first met him. She wanted the charming, talkative Kurt back.

"I'm not leaving," she reassured him. "I'll stay for a little while. Does anything sound good to eat? I'm sure there's something in the cafeteria you'd like."

"No," he murmured. He sat up a little straighter, and reached for the plastic fork on the tray. "I'll eat this."

Elizabeth had no idea what was fueling his sudden behavior changes, but was just thankful he was eating. Kurt managed to eat several bites of his peas and potatoes, slowly but surely, until the plate was nearly half clean.

"No more," he insisted, pushing the tray away. Elizabeth took it away from him and helped him drink another glass of water without spilling it.

"You ate very well," she praised. "It's about time for me to go, honey. Would you like me to come back tomorrow? I'll be able to visit you a little earlier, and when you're not so tired."

"Don't leave yet," he whined, gripping her arm. Elizabeth knew it was his fever that was making him so clingy, but she knew she couldn't just sit with him all night. As much as she already loved Kurt, she needed to give him time alone to rest.

"My tummy hurts," Kurt moaned. Elizabeth thought for a second he was faking to get her to stay longer, but he _was_ looking awfully pale. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for him to have eaten so much, especially after the surgery he had mentioned the other day…

Elizabeth tried to calm him, but Kurt couldn't get comfortable. All the moving around wound up hurting his arm, and Kurt began to cry again.

She hated seeing him so worked up like that. He was in pain and feeling miserable, and there was little she could do to help.

"Kurt," she tried. "Kurt, it's okay. Here, lay back down, I'll-"

Kurt, without a warning of any kind, hunched over and threw up on his blankets.

Elizabeth immediately went to help him, as the terrified child cried even harder and continued to shiver and whine.

"It's okay, it's okay," she said, pulling his blankets away from him. "Kurt, it's okay. I'm not mad, honey."

Elizabeth had slowly begun to learn through her interactions with him over the last few days that Kurt always assumed she was upset with him whenever he did something "bad."

Sure enough, Kurt was able to breathe a little easier once he was reassured that Elizabeth wasn't mad at him and he wasn't in trouble.

Elizabeth tucked her shoulder-length auburn hair behind her ears and tried to clean up his face a little. Thankfully there were washcloths in the bathroom, so once he looked a little better, she dampened it and pressed it up against his forehead to try to make him cool off.

There was an extra blanket in the closet next to the bathroom door, so she grabbed him a new one to keep him from shivering.

"Thank you," he said, his voice barely there. Elizabeth knew he was still on edge, and could burst into tears again any second.

"You're welcome," she told him, cupping his hand in hers and paging for a nurse. "They can wash your blanket and bring it back to you all fresh and clean. Would you like that?"

Kurt nodded and whimpered a little, barely having enough strength to cry anymore. Elizabeth waited until the nurse showed up to get up and leave.

"Stay here," Kurt begged. "I'll be good! There's enough room in the bed for you to sleep, see?"

Kurt tried to scoot over to make room for Elizabeth, a gesture she appreciated, but not when he was so sick.

"Lie still," she told him. "I'm not leaving because you've been bad. I love coming to visit you, Kurt. I have to go home to Mr. Burt and Charlie, though. During the day I see you, and at night I see them. But tomorrow I get to come see you again. Okay? I'll bring you another surprise, too. But you need to rest for tonight. I'll come see you again tomorrow, I promise."

"Okay," Kurt agreed. He held out his pinky, and Elizabeth linked it with her own.

Leaving Kurt that night was incredibly hard for her, especially when all Elizabeth wanted to do was hold him and make everything all better and take him home with her. Taking care of him gave her a purpose, other than being a wife and accountant. Kurt made her feel like a mother, a feeling she had longed for for years.

She went home to her husband and dog, who both greeted her when she arrived. Burt could tell she was upset, but hesitated bringing up Kurt. They hadn't discussed anything since Monday night, and she had only briefly mentioned that she was staying after work to visit him that day.

"What's the matter?" he asked over dinner. "Is it the kid?"

"It's _Kurt_ ," she corrected him. She knew Burt wasn't apathetic, he was just bad with names. But still, she was already impatient. "He's got an infection and isn't doing well. He threw up after eating dinner and he's got a fever. I hated to leave him, but I don't want him to grow so attached to me, only to find out he's not coming home with us."

"It sounds like he already loves you a whole lot," Burt said with his mouth full. "I think you love him, too. Have you seen his social worker around at all? She could probably let you know what's going to happen when he leaves."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't think she's come by in days. Kurt said her name was Mrs. Walden. I could look her up in the phone book, but I'd rather talk to her in person."

"She has to come around some time," Burt pointed out. "Just wait until you can see her face to face. She can probably tell you more about adopting him, too."

Elizabeth was certain her husband had discarded the adoption talk from two nights earlier. Was he seriously considering it?

"Have you been thinking about it?" she asked him, a smile creeping to her face. If Burt agreed to pursue the possibility, then they were one small step closer to making Kurt their son.

"Well… a little," he confessed, looking down at his plate. Elizabeth could tell he still seemed a little hesitant, but he just had to wait until he could actually meet Kurt and fall in love with him.

"I promise you would love him," Elizabeth told him, reaching across the table to grab his hand. "Once his social worker comes around I'll talk to her. He truly is the perfect child."

Burt looked hesitant, but Elizabeth took full confidence in saying that. There was nothing about Kurt that she didn't love. He was reserved and hesitant, yes, but on the inside he just wanted someone to _really_ love him. She and Burt could take care of that. Elizabeth knew, as much as her husband doubted himself, he would truly be a great father.

The rest of dinner passed normally, the conversation shifting form Kurt to work to everything in between. Elizabeth went to bed, like she had every night that week, looking forward to seeing her little boy again the next day.

Thursday she was hopeful. Hopeful that Kurt was feeling better and his infection was cleared up, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

Elizabeth didn't think it was possible, but he seemed to be doing _worse._ Kurt cried at the smallest things, like his blanket falling on the floor or his water spilling. Of course, she tried to comfort him, but it was still heartbreaking to see him like that. She watched television with him and told him funny stories about Charlie, but nothing could bring a smile to Kurt's face.

Friday was much the same way. Elizabeth wasn't sure how much time she would get to spend with him over the weekend, so she tried to stay a little later after work that day. Kurt had developed a cough, and his broken arm was bothering him.

"I wanna go home with you," he grumbled, refusing to let go of her hand for the evening. Elizabeth wanted to make his wish come true, but Kurt was far too sick to even get out of bed.

"You need to get better, first," Elizabeth reminded him. She didn't want to explain to Kurt that he _couldn't_ come with her. Not unless a miracle happened, which didn't seem likely unless his social worker showed up.

"I don't like being th'ick," he complained, sucking on his thumb as usual. Elizabeth didn't blame him. She missed seeing the little boy's smiles.

"I know," she agreed. "The doctors are going to help you get better, though. And the more you rest, the better you'll start to feel."

Kurt sighed dramatically, resulting in a nasty coughing fit Elizabeth immediately tried to nip.

"Ow," he said, gratefully accepting the cup of water Elizabeth kept refilled by his bed. She attempted to make him comfortable and able to relax better, but Kurt seemed too exhausted to do anything other than suck his thumb and hold her hand lazily.

The rest of the evening passed much like that. Elizabeth did most of the talking, with the occasional cough or crying bout from Kurt. When eight o'clock finally rolled around, she dreaded leaving Kurt behind, especially when he was so ill and so attached to her.

"Don't leave," he panicked as Elizabeth reached down for her purse. Kurt knew what that meant.

"I can't stay past eight, honey," she said remorsefully. "I promise I'll try to come back tomorrow. If they let me stay longer, then I would."

"No," Kurt choked, beginning to cry for what felt like the hundredth time. "No, I'm th'orry! I'm th'orry!"

He was hysterical at that point. Elizabeth collected him in her arms and wrapped her arms around his tiny little body as he sobbed into her shirt, her heart breaking into a million little pieces for him.

"Shhh," she soothed. "You haven't done anything wrong, sweet boy. You don't need to be sorry. I'll come back tomorrow and bring you more treats. But tonight you need to go to sleep, Kurt. Your little body can't heal unless you rest."

" _I don't like the hospital_ ," Kurt hiccupped, struggling to get each word out. Elizabeth rubbed his back, afraid she would have to call in a nurse if he didn't calm down soon.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry you have to stay here. Maybe tomorrow, if you feel better, we could go for a wheelchair ride, hm? We have the whole day."

Kurt seemed to calm down ever so slightly, and he allowed Elizabeth to lay him down and tuck him in. She cleaned his face from the tears, and gave him promise after promise that she would return first thing in the morning.

It felt like a miracle that she was able to get Kurt to go to sleep. It was exhausting, and he tried to fight it, but Elizabeth eventually decided to try singing to him, and Kurt dropped right off to sleep.

Leaving him behind was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. Elizabeth knew once Kurt fell asleep he was usually okay, but she wished she could instill in his little mind that she wasn't going to abandon him and not come back. She loved him far too much to even think about not returning, but the way his parents had raised him only caused that behavior.

Elizabeth wanted to go right to bed when she got home, but even though it was almost nine by the time they ate dinner, she was adamant about not missing a Friday night dinner with her husband.

"How's Kurt?" he asked. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that he remembered his name that time.

"He's just been getting sicker and sicker," she sighed. "I haven't seen his social worker once. I truly think if I didn't stop by everyday, he would be all alone."

"That's too bad…" Burt agreed. "She has to turn up sometime, though. We can always look into adoption without help from his social worker."

Elizabeth nodded along, over the moon that he was so open-minded about considering adoption, even if it didn't work out with Kurt. It made her feel a little better, even on the worst of days like today.

She went to bed early, exhausted from work and the hours she had devoted to Kurt. She hoped, if he was feeling better over the weekend, that she could bring Burt to meet him, too. The hospital would hopefully allow that, especially since Elizabeth was so close to several of the pediatrics workers.

When they heard the home phone ring in the middle of the night, they both woke to the sound. Burt got up to answer it before Elizabeth could make a move.

"It's for you," Burt mumbled, half-awake as he handed her the cordless.

"Hello?" Elizabeth answered, suddenly wide awake as she realized there was only one possible reason why someone would be trying to reach her so late. _Kurt._

"Hey, sorry to wake you up, but I figured you would want to know." It was Kelly, Elizabeth's best friend from high school and also one of the night nurses in pediatrics. "Kurt Howard, that kid you've been visiting all week? He developed a pretty bad case of pneumonia. They moved him to the PICU and are trying to help him breathe, but his lungs are super weak. If I were you, I'd get on down here. They're doing everything they can, but he's not looking good at all."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

And here's chapter two! This website has been giving me problem after problem lately, but I finally got it up. Hope you liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

After receiving the devastating phone call from Kelly, Elizabeth knew she had no choice but to rush to the hospital. Burt offered to go, but he had to go to work in the morning, so she threw some clothes on and went alone.

She felt like a parent, sitting anxiously in the pediatrics waiting area. Once she arrived, Kelly assured her that Kurt was doing better, but that she wasn't able to see him yet. The PICU was for family members only.

"He has no other family," she tried desperately. "I'm the only one who's even come to check on him this whole week."

"We all know how much you care about him," Kelly said sympathetically. "It's the hospital's rules, not ours. We all agreed we would let you in if we could."

"Can I not see him again until he's well enough to be back in a regular room then?" Elizabeth asked, placing her hands on the counter in frustration.

Kelly pulled something up on her computer. "We got ahold of his social worker, and she's going to be stopping by today. Technically she is his guardian right now, so she's the one that can give us permission to let you go back and see him. She said she would be by around ten, so if you want to wait, you can."

Elizabeth checked the clock on the wall behind her. It wasn't even four yet. But she couldn't leave Kurt alone. Even though they couldn't be together, she was going to be there for him.

"I'll stay," she decided, and tried to rest in the waiting room, even though there was a constant stream of activity that prevented her from dozing off. But then again, she was too worried about Kurt to turn her mind off.

Ten o'clock passed, and the morning transitioned into afternoon, with still no sign of Kurt's social worker. Kelly left, but some of her other nurse friends showed up. Elizabeth called Burt to update him, and he agreed to come by after work if she was still there. Spending all day just _waiting_ was exhausting.

She eventually wandered up to the gift shop, and looked for something special for Kurt. He was probably too weak to play much, but she saw the tall helium tank in the corner, which gave her the perfect idea. Balloons were cheap and simple, but Elizabeth was certain Kurt would love them. She got him blue and purple, feeling slightly guilty for not knowing what his favorite color was.

It was just after two in the afternoon when a woman entered the waiting area, and signed herself in as Tammy Walden. Elizabeth jumped at the opportunity to introduce herself, but was determined to make a good first impression.

After several minutes of introductions and explanations, Elizabeth expected to be on her way into the PICU. But that wasn't quite the case. Mrs. Walden asked her several questions about how she knew Kurt and whether or not she was a friend of his parents, but when Elizabeth had to think about the possibility of not seeing Kurt, she was willing to do anything the woman asked.

"I just have some forms to fill out," Mrs. Walden said. "You can sit with Kurt while I complete them, but no longer."

Elizabeth thanked her more than was necessary and shook her hand a little too hard. She received a nametag that enabled her to enter the intensive care unit, and while Mrs. Walden headed off to talk with Kurt's doctor, Elizabeth made her way over to the little boy who looked like he was feeling absolutely horrible.

"Miss 'lizbeth," Kurt sighed in relief, reaching up to hold her hand. The child looked like a human pincushion from all the needles coming out of him. He had a cannula in his nose, and a pulse meter clipped to his little finger.

Elizabeth placed the balloon bouquet next to his table, took a seat by him and held his hand. Kurt's blue eyes immediately welled up, and he began to cry weakly, hardly even able to produce tears.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Elizabeth asked, afraid she had done something wrong. "I'm right here. I've been out in the waiting room all night."

Kurt sniffled and wiped at his nose. "I m-missed you." He let out a nasty cough, ten times worse than the one he had had the past few days. He drew in a sharp wheezy breath and let it out slowly.

"There you go, just breathe," she instructed, adjusting the cannula as it tried to slip out of his nose. "I came to the hospital as soon as I heard you were sick. I've been here the whole time, honey. They just haven't been able to let me in. But Mrs. Walden is here, and she let me come back and see you. You haven't been alone, Kurt."

Kurt looked up at the blue and purple balloons next to his bed, and he reached out to poke one. That seemed to calm him slightly.

"Blue's my favorite," he admitted timidly, as if he might get in trouble for saying that.

Elizabeth sighed in relief. She liked seeing him come around, even though he felt so sick. She moved the balloons closer to him and let Kurt poke at them all he wanted.

"Those are just for you," she told him. Kurt looked up at her with wide eyes, in a state of disbelief.

"No," he finally said. "Mommy never let he have presents. She'd be mad I took your books and videos and b'loons. You can have 'em."

Elizabeth hated Kurt's parents more and more each time Kurt mentioned something about them.

"Your mommy wouldn't be mad that I gave you balloons," Elizabeth assured him. "These are a special present, from me to you."

Kurt seemed reluctant, but he finally accepted them with a weak smile.

However, his happiness didn't last for long. Kurt's chest hurt him every time he coughed, which was often. Elizabeth tried to help him by giving him drinks of water and patting his back when he needed it, but Kurt quickly grew tired.

"I don't want you to leave again," he pouted, eyelids heavy and already half shut.

Elizabeth knew Mrs. Walden should be wrapping up her visit with Kurt's doctor, and she was afraid to break the news to him.

"I can't stay for much longer," she told him. "But I'll come back as soon as I can. I know last night was scary, but you're going to get better. You won't always feel this bad."

As if on cue, Mrs. Walden appeared at the foot of Kurt's bed to walk Elizabeth out. She quickly tried to wrap things up with him, and make the visit last until the next time she could see him.

"I promise I'm going to come back," she said, looking the boy in the eyes. "You know I don't break my promises, okay? You have your balloons to remind you of me. Just try to feel better, Kurt. It's going to be okay."

Elizabeth managed to sit with him while Mrs. Walden asked him how he was feeling and other general questions, before they both knew it was time to go.

"Bye," he whimpered, holding onto her hand for as long as possible. Elizabeth would have rather seen a tantrum come out of him. Kurt shouldn't have been that used to being left alone.

Mrs. Walden led Elizabeth back to the waiting room, and she was already itching to be back with Kurt again. She knew he was terrified of everything about the hospital, just by his mannerisms.

"Where is he going to go, once he's all better?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, breaking the silence. The woman turned to her and adjusted her thick glasses.

"Kurt will be placed in a foster home, unless someone comes forward willing to adopt him. Ideally it would be nice to place him with a relative, but he seems to have no grandparents or aunts or uncles willing to take him. For a child of Kurt's age and wonderful health, he could be adopted right away or just remain in foster care until he ages out of the system. Each child is different."

"Well, my husband and I have been looking into adoption for some time," Elizabeth explained hastily, trying to sound professional and not too crazy. "We're unable to have a child on our own, and if there's anything we can do to adopt Kurt, we would love to have him as a part of our family. We'll do whatever it takes."  
"Adoption is a big step, Mrs. Hummel," Mrs. Walden warned, as if she wasn't mature enough to make such a decision. They had walked out to the main lobby, and were about to take the elevator to the parking garage. "It requires much consideration. And, even if you decided you definitely wanted to adopt Kurt, you would still have to go through the entire process, which could take several months. Kurt will need a place to stay until then, so foster care is really unavoidable for him, no matter what you do."

The social worker dug around in her purse as they rode in the elevator together by themselves. She handed Elizabeth a business card with her name, phone number, and email address.

"I would love to help work with you throughout the process," she said, smiling for the first time. "Give me a call on a weekday to talk about things, if this is really what you want."

They stepped out of the elevator, about to go their separate ways. Elizabeth slid the card into her wallet and thanked the woman, who wasn't quite finished yet.

"Oh- and I talked to the head nurse. It's quite obvious Kurt adores you, so I gave her my permission to let you visit him in the PICU from now on. Have a good day, Mrs. Hummel."

Elizabeth stood there in disbelief for several seconds, and then debated between going back up to Kurt or just heading home. She figured he needed some rest, so she went on home to relay the information to her husband.

Burt arrived at the house shortly after she did, and Elizabeth immediately told him what Mrs. Walden had said to her about adoption and the process and the foster system. The thought of it was all very exciting, except for how long it could potentially take.

"I just don't like to think of him going into a foster home," she worried, after gushing about how _this could actually work out._ The reality was that Kurt could wind up staying with a family he liked even better, and wouldn't _want_ her and Burt to adopt him. Elizabeth knew she was worrying about it much more than she should, but couldn't help consider it.

"No, don't think like that," Burt said, placing his hand over her shoulder reassuringly. "You've only known the kid a week, but it's obvious he loves and trusts you. He'll never find anyone like you in some foster home. You're doing the right thing."

Elizabeth nodded, not entirely convinced, but let her husband hug her. While she was normally so independent and headstrong, thinking about Kurt wanting someone else made her feel horrible, like she needed the little boy to finally feel like _real_ parent.

It was hard to remain optimistic, but it was their only option if they wanted Kurt to be their son someday.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

This one's a little short, but I'll make up for it later, I promise! I hope you like it so far. Picturing tiny little Kurt scared and alone in the hospital is just the worst. But keep reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Elizabeth Hummel always went to church. From an early age till her wedding, she had gone to church faithfully every Sunday. When she married Burt (in the church), he needed a little more convincing to go, but eventually the couple made it a routine.

But, on this cloudy June Sunday morning, she skipped the sermon so she could go visit a certain blue-eyed boy in the hospital.

Kurt was still very sick. His pneumonia and fever combined with his injuries made him weak, but he seemed to light up when Elizabeth got there that morning, arms full of more picture books and little stuffed toys to keep him occupied. After her talk with Burt the day before, they had gone out together to buy Kurt some more things, as well as look into redoing the spare room to turn it into a bedroom for him.

Assuming everything worked out according to plan.

"I'm goin' to _kindergarten_ next year to learn how'da read," Kurt said proudly as he turned the thick pages of the books, trying to find any words he knew. Elizabeth knew Kurt was a very smart boy, but in the back of her mind she just wasn't sure he was ready for school, emotionally or physically.

"Reading is fun when you get the hang of it," Elizabeth told him. She was a big reader herself, and always tried to take Burt to the bookstore with her, although he rarely agreed. She could take Kurt someday, and they would sit in the living room and read together.

Elizabeth forced herself to shake the fantasy from her mind before it turned into something more. The odds were against them, and she knew she and Kurt were both going to be heartbroken if the adoption didn't go through.

"Mommy never let me have books," Kurt went on, shutting the cover and lying back as he curled up under his blanket. "They're 'spensive. Thank you, Miss 'lizabeth."

Elizabeth smiled. He was certainly well-mannered, even if he was underprivileged. She knew she and Burt were going to spoil him rotten.

"You can keep all the books I bring you," Elizabeth promised him. Kurt seemed to be in disbelief, at first, but then gathered up the strength to sit up and hug her. Elizabeth didn't know how in the world she could ever let him go.

After a moment, she changed the subject with him. "Kurt, would you like it if Mr. Burt came here to meet you? I've told him all about you, but I wanted to see if you were okay with it."

"What did you tell him?" Kurt asked, genuinely intrigued as he stuck his thumb in his mouth.

"I told him how sweet you are, and how I've come by to see you every day. I think you would like each other," Elizabeth said. Kurt didn't think about it too long before answering.

"Yeah," he sighed apathetically. Elizabeth just attributed it to him feeling sick. "Can Charlie come, too?"

"No, not to the hospital," she sadly informed him. "Pets can't come inside the hospital. But after you leave the hospital you can meet him."

Kurt shifted a little, his eyes widening. Elizabeth immediately bit her tongue; she knew she had said all the wrong things. She couldn't plant false hope into Kurt's mind. Even if the adoption worked out beautifully, he still wasn't going to come home with them right away.

"Is Mrs. Walden gonna let me live with you and Mr. Burt?" Kurt asked, displaying more energy than Elizabeth had ever seen in him. She tried to get Kurt to stay settled, before he wound up coughing again.

"Mr. Burt and I are trying to work it out with her," she told him. "We would love for you to live with us, but it just takes a long time to get it all worked out. Would you like that, though?"

Kurt nodded several times. "You let me have more fun than my Mommy and Daddy. They didn't let me watch TV ever, not even when I was home alone."

Elizabeth grimaced. "Did they leave you by yourself a lot?"

He raised and lowered one shoulder casually, as if it weren't a big deal. "Only at night, when I was th'leeping."

Had Kurt's parents been alive, Elizabeth was certain they would face child neglect charges. Every time Kurt mentioned them, her hatred for the people she had never met grew. People like them certainly didn't deserve a child as innocent and loving as Kurt.

"Me and Mr. Burt won't leave you home alone," Elizabeth promised him. She couldn't even imagine doing such a thing. "But listen, honey. It might take a few months for us and Mrs. Walden to work things out. Until everything is good to go, you'll have to stay at someone else's house. Mrs. Walden will put you with some very nice people, and it's just until you're able to be with us. Is that okay with you?"

Kurt looked confused and heartbroken at the same time, like a kicked puppy. "Do you and Mr. Burt not want me?"

Elizabeth knew she shouldn't have explained so much. A five-year-old couldn't comprehend that well.

"No, no, sweetheart, we _do_ want you," Elizabeth corrected him. "We would love to be your permanent parents, if that's what you want. But until we're allowed to do that, you have to stay with somebody. Until you're able to live with us, you'll stay with them. Does that make a little more sense?"

Kurt nodded, but still seemed dejected. "I wanna stay with you the whole time, though. I wanna meet Charlie! You said I could meet Charlie!"

His tone had grown from sad to accusatory, and he burst into tears before he was done speaking. Elizabeth hated herself so much in that moment, both for making Kurt cry and trying to get his hopes up, only to disappoint him.

She quickly tried to calm him down once he entered into a coughing fit, and she gave him some water and rubbed his bony back, trying to make things right.

Kurt raised up his good arm, clearly wanting to sit on her lap, and Elizabeth hesitantly moved him, trying not to jar his broken body. Kurt clung to her and calmed down after she wrapped her arms around him.

"We're doing everything we can to make this go as fast as possible," Elizabeth told him. "Once it's final, you can meet Charlie and play with him for as long as you want. You can have your own room and keep all of the books and videos I brought you. You can pick out some sheets for your bed and get some brand new clothes, too. You can go to kindergarten at the school down the street, and visit Mr. Burt at his work. Did you know he fixes cars all day? He has a big garage with cars he works on. I bet he would let you help sometime."

Kurt looked at her, curious to know more. Elizabeth couldn't stop herself from telling him all about what his life could be like. It wasn't certain, but it did calm him down. Even after he was back to normal, Kurt still wanted to be held.

So Elizabeth held him. She held him and fed him his broccoli cheese soup for lunch and held him when he took a nap and all the way until visiting hours were up, and she had to surrender Kurt to the hospital's care for the night. It was hard to say goodbye that day, but Elizabeth was hopeful that their time together was far from over.

When she arrived at home, Burt was on the desktop computer, which he normally never touched. Elizabeth set her keys down and went over to see what was so important.

"That lady emailed us an adoption application," he said, scrolling through the detailed pages to show her. "We need background checks, references, and a two-hundred dollar fee."

"We can do that," Elizabeth said confidently, squeezing next to him on the narrow chair to read through it completely. The Hummels were out of debt, but still were far from being considered wealthy. Two hundred dollars was a considerable amount of money to them.

"I can put in a few more hours at the shop a week," Burt offered. "Especially if we're going to be raising a _kid._ We need all the money we can get."

Elizabeth couldn't help but think ahead to actually parenting Kurt. Yes, bringing him home for the first time was exciting, but there was so much more to consider: his first day of school, first Christmas with them, multiple birthdays and milestones they had yet to experience. In that moment, the two hundred dollars seemed completely worth it.

"Print it out and we can start on it," Elizabeth ordered. "We can do the basics tonight and get references tomorrow."

"Are we really doing this?" her husband asked, not an ounce of hesitation in his voice. They looked at each other, as if considering the other's thoughts, before smiling excitedly and beginning the arduous process of adopting.

"I talked to Kurt about meeting you," Elizabeth brought up later that night, laying in bed in the dark. "He seemed more excited about the dog than you, but he seemed happy about it."

Burt hesitated for a moment, and Elizabeth was afraid he was asleep at first, until he spoke up. "I'd like to meet him sooner rather than later. Would the hospital allow it, though? With how sick he is?"

Elizabeth hadn't thought of that, but was certain it would be alright, especially if she was already allowed back in the PICU. Even if it was a problem, Kurt couldn't stay in there forever.

"It's fine," she decided. "What about tomorrow after work? I usually stay an hour or so after to spend some time with him. You could just come by for a little bit and let him get to know you. He's so sweet, Burt."

"Yeah, I'll do that," he decided. "I want to meet the little guy. Especially if he's gonna be our _son._ "

The reality that they were on the road to becoming parents was both exciting and scary. What if Kurt came and they had no clue how to care for him, especially with his background? Elizabeth tried to put her fears aside and focus on the positives, like how her husband was being so open and supportive during the entire process, even though he hadn't even met Kurt yet.

Well, that was about to change. She knew once Burt met him for the first time, he wouldn't be able to say no to him.

Monday was stormy and slow. It was hard to believe just a week earlier, Elizabeth hadn't even met Kurt, and now she and Burt were looking into becoming his _parents._ It was surreal, but a wonderful feeling nonetheless.

After work, Elizabeth spent her evening with him, reading books to him and going through the normal routine. Kurt's nurse reported that he hadn't slept well the night before, and was refusing to eat or take a nap.

Elizabeth had finally coaxed him into eating half a banana and some watermelon slices, which the nurses praised her for, but Kurt was still uncooperative. He insisted on being held, and Elizabeth was worried that having Burt show up wouldn't be good for him when he was having such a bad day.

But, finally, she was helping Kurt unwind, and he almost seemed sleepy, until the doors to the PICU opened, and Burt came over to them.

"Kurt, this is my husband, Mr. Burt," Elizabeth introduced, brushing Kurt's shaggy hair to the side of his forehead. He needed a haircut soon.

Kurt looked up at the man towering over him, smiling, but he immediately covered his face and hid in Elizabeth's arms, trembling like a Chihuahua. She wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but he was clearly scared.

"Kurt, what's the matter?" she asked. "It's okay, honey. Mr. Burt is very nice."

Kurt sniffled, his blue eyes watery. He leaned in close to whisper in Elizabeth's ear. "He looks like my Daddy. I don't want him to hit me. Don't let him hit me!"

Elizabeth held Kurt tighter and let him cry it out. She knew she couldn't fix this with just a hug and some reassuring words. Kurt's abuse had cut deep to his core, and he was obviously scarred from it. It could take months before he trusted again. Elizabeth was just lucky he had taken to her so quickly.

"Shhh," she said, handing Kurt his blanket to soothe him. "Kurt, Mr. Burt isn't going to hit you. He and I will never hurt you. Do you understand?"

Kurt nodded, looking her in the eye. He turned hesitantly to face Burt, who had squatted down in front of him so they were at eye-level.

"Hey, kiddo," he said. Elizabeth knew he didn't have much experience with kids, but he was doing just fine. "I promise I'm not like your daddy. I'll never hit you, I promise."

Kurt held out his pinky to make him promise, and Burt locked it with his own. If only the adoption could be as simple as a pinky promise.

The rest of the evening went as smoothly as Elizabeth could've hoped. Kurt warmed up to Burt relatively quickly, and even let him read him a book. He still only let Elizabeth hold him, though, and by the time eight o'clock rolled around, Kurt was already asking when he could see Mr. Burt again.

"Mr. Burt can come see you again in a few days, when it's Saturday and we get to spend all day here. Does that sound good?" Elizabeth asked as she tucked Kurt in. The boy nodded contently, and they left him to sleep so they could get home themselves.

"What did you think of that?" Elizabeth asked on the walk out to the parking garage. She valued her husband's opinion so much, and was just hoping he had enjoyed the visit.

"You were right," Burt admitted. "He's hard not to love. I don't think he's completely comfortable with me yet, though. But I don't doubt this adoption thing. The kid needs a solid family."

"Well, after what his old parents put him through," Elizabeth reminded him. "I think it took him a few days to completely trust me and know that I wouldn't abandon him. He'll come around, don't worry."

Burt seemed a little skeptical, but at that point, there was no going back. Their application was almost ready to turn in to the agency. Kurt was going to get well enough to leave the hospital, and he needed parents. Elizabeth knew- and she was certain her husband did, too- that Kurt was going to be the best thing that ever happened to them.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Thanks for all the reviews you guys have left me on this story! I started school, so I'm not around all day to post another chapter, but hopefully twice a week or so I can get a new one up. Keep up the feedback!


	5. Chapter 5

For the rest of that week, Elizabeth and Burt worked diligently to get their adoption application completed. She turned it in to Kurt's social worker when she stopped by the hospital again, as soon as Kurt was moved out of the PICU and back to a regular room after his pneumonia began to clear up.

They got a phone call that same night.

"I'm going to turn this in to the agency first thing tomorrow," Mrs. Walden assured them. "Everything looks wonderful, and I see no reason why you shouldn't be approved. I personally think you would make a wonderful family for Kurt, and since he's already so fond of you, they shouldn't have to think twice about it."

That news left the two of them overjoyed, because things were finally starting to work in their favor. It was just a waiting game.

But the social worker hadn't finished. "As flawless as your application seems, I'm afraid there is still a relatively long waiting period. It could be thirty to sixty days before you hear any news about a home study. Kurt is slated to leave the hospital next Monday, if he continues to get better. That could mean a few months in foster care, but I assure you I'll do everything in my power to speed up the process."

They hung up the phone that night still trying to process both the good and the bad news. Elizabeth knew Kurt had to leave the hospital eventually, but hadn't really thought about what they were going to do during the in-between period. It was hard to go a _day_ without seeing her little boy, but the thought of waiting months without any contact was next to impossible.

Although it was going to be tough, they decided it was worth it in the long run. Elizabeth would do anything for Kurt, even wait months and months for them to be approved to be parents.

Kurt continued to improve throughout the week, much more so now that he was in his own room again. His fever was quickly fading, and he could eat more without getting sick. He was still weak and underweight for his age, but Elizabeth knew that would take time to correct.

She brought Burt with her again on Wednesday, and Kurt seemed to do much better. He let Burt hold him on his lap, and he even felt up to taking a short walk around the pediatrics wing.

Elizabeth knew Kurt trusted them more and more, which she loved. Kurt had realized that Burt wasn't like his old dad, and truly loved him and would never hurt him.

"Mrs. Walden said she found me a family to th'tay with," Kurt announced Wednesday night, when visiting hours were just about up. "She said you guy'th are gonna get to keep me for good, though."

"That's right," Elizabeth told him, helping him get comfortable unwind to go to sleep. "We just have to wait, like I told you. But then you get to come home with us forever."

Kurt seemed to like the idea of that, but he still seemed a little apprehensive. Elizabeth could see it in his face.

"What's the matter, honey?" she asked, stroking his hair.

"Will they be mean like my mommy and daddy were?" Kurt asked. Elizabeth knew the fear Kurt had from his parents wasn't likely to go away anytime soon, even when he was finally theirs. They had truly traumatized their little boy.

"No, no, sweetheart. Not everyone is mean like them. Me and Mr. Burt love you too much to ever be mean to you," Elizabeth explained. She didn't know how to reassure him about the foster home situation, especially when she didn't even know who the people were.

"When you leave the hospital, just remember that it won't be the last time you see us. Whatever happens, we'll see you again soon. And I promise to let you meet Charlie."

Kurt smiled and seemed to relax some, but the child still seemed too troubled to sleep.

"Daddy made me keep secrets," Kurt confessed, not willing to look her in the eye. "He would hurt Mommy and make me promi'th not to tell anyone. Then I started crying and he and Mommy both got mad and had a great big fight. Does Mr. Burt hurt you?"

Elizabeth was heartbroken by his innocent question. Kurt believed all people were like his parents, and at five years old, he was already having doubts that he could be loved.

"Mr. Burt never hurts me," Elizabeth told him. "And we'll never hurt you, okay? We love you, Kurt. No one will ever hurt each other in our house."

Kurt nodded, and curled up on his side. Elizabeth patted his back to try to get him to calm down, but Kurt kept going.

"Do I hafta be home alone?" Kurt asked her. Elizabeth remembered him saying that his parents had left him all alone, which no doubt had to be terrifying. "They left me alone one whole day and I couldn't eat any food."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. Hearing his stories about his previous home were devastating. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Kurt's parents _hadn't_ been killed. Would he still be stuck with them for the next thirteen years of his life? The thought of that was horrifying.

"We won't leave you alone," Elizabeth said firmly. "Wherever we go, you go too. Does that sound good?"

Kurt nodded, and seemed a little more at ease. She wished she could take care of all of his worries, but Kurt just had too many to count.

Elizabeth and Burt both knew that in a few days Kurt would be gone from their lives for at least several months, so they tried to make their last days together meaningful. Kurt seemed to cling to them even more when the weekend came, as he was for sure leaving on Monday morning.

His anxiety about the foster family never completely disappeared, and Elizabeth spent the majority of the day on Sunday trying to convince him that he would be okay, since the idea of living with anyone other than her and Burt terrified Kurt. He pleaded to be able to go home with them, but Elizabeth had to explain everything to him again.

Leaving Kurt on Sunday night was one of the hardest things Elizabeth had ever had to do. She knew it was their last night together for a while, potentially even forever. She had tried not to think that way, but she couldn't always avoid reality.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" Kurt asked, his eyes watering up.

"Me and Mr. Burt are going to come see you," she said, trying to sound positive, though she wanted to cry herself. The last two weeks with Kurt had been the best two weeks she had had in awhile. "We'll get to see you while they sign you out. We can walk with you to Mrs. Walden's car, too. Would you like that?"

Kurt nodded, blinking back his tears. Elizabeth held him until the last possible second, and she laid him down to tuck him in for the last time in the hospital.

"Can you come visit me?" Kurt asked. Elizabeth had thought about that possibility, though it didn't seem likely. Kurt could be anywhere in the state of Ohio, and she wasn't entirely sure Mrs. Walden was allowed to say where he was.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, handing him his blanket. "We're going to get to see each other, though. I promise. I don't want you to be scared, Kurt. I'm sure Mrs. Walden put you with some very nice people."

"I'm gonna mi'th you," Kurt whimpered, finally breaking down into tears. Elizabeth knew her time with him was running out, so she couldn't pick him up and calm him down all over again.

"Shhh," she soothed. Elizabeth was going to miss him, too. Going to work wouldn't be the same without looking forward to her visits with Kurt at the end of each day. The whole situation just wasn't fair.

"It's okay to miss us," she told him. "We're all working very hard to be able to keep you, Kurt. If you ever miss me while you're gone, just remember that."

"Okay," Kurt agreed with a sniffle. Elizabeth sat with him for as long as she could, until the child finally fell asleep, too exhausted to worry any longer.

Elizabeth knew it was after eight. The pediatrics staff all knew Kurt was leaving the next day, so she didn't doubt they had bent the visiting hours rules a little to accommodate for that.

Elizabeth sat with him for a little longer, though, just to make sure Kurt was totally out. She knew without a doubt that he had come into her and Burt's life for a reason, and even though he couldn't be theirs right away, it was going to happen. She just knew.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

I'M SORRY I TOOK 18 YEARS TO UPDATE. School is currently eating all of my time. 0/10 recommend.

Also I'm sorry this chapter is like three words long. The next few will be longer I pinky promise!


	6. Chapter 6

Monday morning it was hard to focus on work, naturally. Elizabeth was tempted to take the morning off to see Kurt for the last time, but she simply had too much to do.

Burt drove up to meet her on their lunch hour. Elizabeth stopped at the gift shop one last time for Kurt, and bought the little boy a stuffed bear to take with him to the foster home, as well as another balloon. She didn't want him to leave empty-handed.

They spotted Mrs. Walden filling out the discharge forms for Kurt, and she allowed them to go on into his room to say goodbye.

Kurt looked much different when he wasn't wearing a hospital gown. His IV and cannula were removed, and he was wearing real clothes, although they were much too big. When he saw Burt and Elizabeth enter the room, he immediately climbed down from the bed and went to hug her tightly.

Elizabeth picked him up and wrapped her arms around him protectively. Kurt's hair was damp from the shower, and he buried his head in her shoulder, clinging to her tightly.

"Do I haf'ta stay somewhere else?" Kurt pleaded. "I wanna go with _you._ "

Elizabeth stroked the back of his head and kept on holding him. She sat down in her usual seat and had him face her.

"Remember, honey, this is just for a little while, okay?" she promised, looking Kurt straight in the eye. He nodded, but still didn't seem happy about it at all. "Me and Mr. Burt brought you a few more presents to take with you. And you can keep all the books and movies I already gave you, okay?"

Kurt nodded and thanked her repeatedly. Elizabeth knew it was a big deal for him to receive any kind of present, which was partially why she did it so often.

"What 'bout the picture of Charlie? I still have it," Kurt said, sliding off her lap and pulling it out from the pages of one of his books. Elizabeth smiled and took the photograph from him. She flipped it over and carefully wrote out their home phone number on the back, and handed it back to him.

"You can keep that, too," she told him. "I wrote down our phone number on it, so if you're ever missing one of us, you can give us a call."

Kurt looked fascinated, like he had never known what a telephone could do. He nodded, still in awe, and tucked the picture away.

The door to the room opened, and Kurt instantly reached out for Elizabeth once again. She held him on her lap as Mrs. Walden came to take him away.

"Are you ready to go, Kurt?" she asked, picking up all of his belongings. The little boy nodded sadly, and stood back up to leave.

"Can they walk with me?" Kurt asked boldly, gesturing to Elizabeth and Burt. The social worker smiled, and the four of them walked out of the little room for the final time. Kurt held her hand the entire walk down through the lobby and out to the parking garage.

The moment was bittersweet. Kurt was finally getting to leave the hospital and have a "normal" summer, but Elizabeth knew it was their last interaction, at least for a long while. She loved that child with all of her heart, and was positive Kurt loved her, too.

"The agency should be contacting you about a home study relatively soon," Mrs. Walden was saying once Kurt was all buckled after lengthy hugs and tearful goodbyes. "If it were up to me, I'd let you take him in a heartbeat. He needs to be with people he's familiar with."  
"She gave him our phone number," Burt said to the woman. "He can call us, right? Until everything is approved?"

The woman nodded in agreement and smiled at the two of them. "You can talk to him as often as possible. If the foster parents agree to it, maybe you could even have a meet-up day. We're all looking to do what's best for Kurt, which looks like it's being with you two, so you shouldn't be apart for too long. Once you're approved to adopt it shouldn't be too long after that that Kurt comes home with you. It's just the waiting that is the hardest."

Burt and Elizabeth were well aware of how long they could end up apart from Kurt, but they both knew in the back of their minds that it would pay off in the end.

"Okay, Kurt, let's get going." Mrs. Walden opened the driver's side door, but before she was even fully out of the car, Kurt had jumped out to say goodbye one last time. He jumped into Elizabeth's arms, holding so tight she didn't think she could ever get him off of her.

"I don't wanna go," he panicked, his breath hitching as he tried not to cry. Elizabeth was surprised she hadn't cried herself, but she knew the tears would come later.

"Shhh," she soothed. "Kurt, don't cry. You don't need to worry, baby. You have our phone number, and you can talk to us when you miss us. I know it'll be a little hard to adjust at first, but pretty soon you'll be able to come with Mr. Burt and me. We just have to wait a little bit. They're going to take good care of you while you wait. Okay?"

"Okay," Kurt peeped. He sniffled and used Elizabeth's cardigan as a tissue, but she didn't mind one bit as she gave him one last squeeze and put him back in the car.

"We'll see you soon, bud," Burt assured him before shutting the car door. The two of them stood and waved as Mrs. Walden backed out of the parking space, and drove off towards the exit of the parking garage. They stayed there for minutes afterwards, as if there was something else to see. Elizabeth just wanted him back already.

Although she knew worrying was pointless, but they had treated Kurt like their son for the past two weeks, and having to hand him over to another family was torturous.

Burt put his arm around his wife, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. "He's gonna be okay. The kid's pretty tough for a five-year-old."

Elizabeth agreed with him, but said nothing. She knew _Kurt_ was tough, but the next several weeks were going to be the ultimate test of patience for _all_ of them.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Wow friends I am so sorry it has taken forever to give you a new chapter! Please don't hate me. I hope you liked this!


	7. Chapter 7

Days passed. Weeks passed. _Months_ passed. No news. No approvals, no denials.

Lots of worry and anxiety.

It was ten weeks later, and summer was quickly drawing to a close. Elizabeth hadn't seen or heard from Kurt in two and a half months, and felt so unbelievably empty inside, nothing but her little boy could permanently cheer her up.

They had their home study completed at the end of June, just two weeks after Kurt left them. While they were thankful the process was moving along fairly quickly, they both grew antsy early on.

Elizabeth knew they were lucky to have gotten so far. Mrs. Walden had helped them throughout the entire process, even though Kurt was no longer in the everyday picture. She assured both her and Burt that Kurt was thriving at his foster home, and she had just visited him the previous week.

That was reassuring to hear that Kurt was doing well, but Elizabeth was concerned that he hadn't called yet. She figured he had just misplaced the picture with the phone number on it, but it still would have been nice to hear his little lisping voice.

Elizabeth would remember that day in late August for as long as she lived. She was at work, sluggishly putting together a quarterly expense report, and missing Kurt hard that day. He was on her mind constantly- she wondered what he was doing, whether or not his broken arm had healed yet, if he was signed up for school or not.

The phone call came just as she was about to take her lunch break. She answered it without expecting much, but it was that call that changed their lives forever.

"Mrs. Hummel? This is Tammy Walden. Um, the circumstances are rather odd, but I contacted the agency regarding your case, and you and your husband are approved to adopt."

Elizabeth nearly dropped the phone. Her heart felt like it had just gotten the kick it needed, and she was desperate to hear more.

"What? A-are you serious?" Her coworkers were beginning to stare, afraid something was wrong. "What circumstances are you talking about? Is everything okay? Is Kurt okay?"

"Kurt is with me right now, but I'm afraid he had to be removed from his foster home immediately. There was an incident- I'm afraid I can't tell you the whole story yet, but I got a call and took him right away. He's not really in any condition to be placed in another home, so I asked the agency where you and your husband stood, and although you're technically not supposed to know yet, this is an emergency situation, so they granted you custody of him until the final court hearing."

Elizabeth's joy immediately turned to worry. Something had happened, and it had to have been pretty bad for Mrs. Walden to have to take Kurt away. But, reality quickly set in that _they were about to become parents._

Over the last several weeks, Elizabeth and Burt had painted and fixed up the spare bedroom so it was ready for Kurt, but she hadn't expected this to all come about so quickly. They didn't even have any clothes for him yet, but the way Mrs. Walden talked, she was already on her way with him.

"When will we get to see him?" Elizabeth asked. She bent down beneath her desk and grabbed her purse and car keys. She rarely took time off, but this truly was an emergency.

"I can bring him by your house tomorrow morning," Mrs. Walden agreed. "I think Kurt and I are going to stay at a hotel tonight. He needs a little time to adjust, and it's a long drive from where his foster home was. I'll drop him off first thing tomorrow morning, and make sure he settles in okay. I know it's a big adjustment and a lot of information to take in, but you and your husband are truly the best people out there for him."

Elizabeth thanked her, not sure what else to do, and hung up. She felt like she was in a dream. They had anticipated up to six months of waiting, but Kurt was going to unofficially be their son _tomorrow._

She called Burt right away. He seemed concerned for what had happened as well, but the joy that the day had finally come quickly took away their worry.

All that afternoon and evening was full of planning. They fixed up Kurt's bedroom and spent too much money on things Kurt probably didn't even need, but the excitement of their boy arriving that very next morning made it okay.

Neither of them slept that night. Elizabeth finally took a sleeping pill, or else she knew she would be awake all night until Mrs. Walden came. It was their last night before they became parents. All of the waiting, paperwork, and worrying really had paid off. It really was a miracle that everything had worked out perfectly in their favor, and the reward was finally about to show up.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

SORRY for another short chapter. The next one is seven pages long and very angsty so stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 8

Kurt liked the new house. Mrs. Walden had told him on the way over there that his new parent's names were David and Melanie, a dad and a mom. The car ride to their house seemed to take _forever_ and Kurt was exhausted by the end of it.

He slept in a little bedroom up the stairs. It took a lot of energy to make it all the way up, but as time passed he grew stronger, and could move quicker. His arm got better, too. He only had to wear his cast for a few more weeks after he left the hospital, but after it came off, his arm looked funny, and it was weaker and harder to move than his normal arm.

David and Melanie didn't have any other children. David was tall and liked to play basketball on the driveway by himself. Kurt never joined, but always watched him from his room. Melanie was nice and volunteered at the animal shelter once a week. Kurt never went with her, though.

In fact, they never really took him anywhere. Kurt loved to go shopping, but Melanie never let him go, not even to the grocery store. Kurt promised he would behave, but then David sent him to his room.

He stopped asking after that day.

He couldn't use the phone, either. Kurt wanted to call Miss Elizabeth and tell her that he had finally got his cast off, but David told him he was never to touch the phone, and that was that.

Kurt still kept her phone number handy, though. Just in case he got a chance someday.

Mrs. Walden came by every few weeks. Kurt looked forward to her visits, just because it gave him something to do other than look at his picture books and bake cookies with Melanie while David worked.

Every time Mrs. Walden came, she assured Kurt that Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Burt were going to be able to 'dopt him, but Kurt quickly grew impatient. After weeks of seclusion from the world, Kurt began to mope around, only wanting to see them again.

He was home alone with David on the Friday afternoon that it happened. Kurt didn't like being alone with him. When Melanie was around, he was nice to Kurt, but if she was gone, he could get mean and loud if Kurt was bad. He tried his best to be good, but sometimes David got angry anyways.

That afternoon Melanie was at the grocery store, and Kurt had known better than to ask if he could go along. David called him downstairs, and Kurt hastily obeyed before he could get mad at him for not being prompt enough.

"Come here," he said impatiently. Kurt entered the living room and stood with his hands behind his back, unsure what he wanted.

The man stood up, towering above Kurt, who quickly became afraid. He knew David wasn't like his old daddy, but sometimes he got scared that he would hit him anyways, just out of habit.

"We're having company over tonight for dinner. _Important_ company. They don't know you're here, and we'd like to keep it that way. So tonight there will be _no_ crying, _no_ leaving your room except to go to the bathroom upstairs, and _no_ noise. You understand?"

Kurt nodded, and assured David he would be on his best behavior. The man looked trustworthy, but Kurt had grown afraid of him in his time at the house. He bent down in front of Kurt, just inches away from his face.

Kurt whimpered, stepping back, but David grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. Kurt whimpered from how forceful his grasp was, and tried to calm himself before he began to cry, but David's expression changed, and he tugged Kurt along by the arm; his _bad_ arm.

"Ow!" Kurt pleaded. "Ow, I'll be good! I'm sorry, I'll be quiet!"

Kurt knew the family had a basement. He had never been down there, but David opened the door and pulled Kurt down the stairs faster than he could walk. His little feet struggled to keep up, causing his foster dad to yank him harder.

"If you can't follow simple directions, then you can stay down here for the evening," he snapped, already back at the door and twisting the lock. "If you make a peep tonight, then you can sleep down here, too."

With that he slammed the door, trapping Kurt in the hot underground room. The only light came from a tiny window near the ceiling, but it wasn't nearly enough. Kurt broke down and cried harder, from the dark and the throbbing in his arm, and the fear that David was going to come back for him.

Kurt curled up in a ball on the floor, trying to quiet down before the guests arrived, but he was too afraid. He tried to call for Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Burt, but Kurt knew they couldn't hear him.

He wanted his real mommy and daddy back. As bad as Kurt realized they were, they would never lock him up for hours at a time.

Kurt cried until his chest and head hurt. He felt exhausted enough from crying to go to sleep, but he knew he would never be able to relax in the extreme heat of late August. He had already sweated through his t-shirt.

Kurt tried to be quiet once he heard the dinner guests show up, but as the evening passed, fear quickly settled in. What if David forgot to come get him, and left him in the basement forever? Kurt didn't know how long he would be able to stay in there. Could a person sweat to death?

He needed to go to the bathroom. Kurt stumbled around the dark room looking for one, but when he knocked over a box, he instantly became too afraid to keep searching. He just prayed the people upstairs hadn't heard.

Kurt sat back down in his corner for several minutes, trying to hold it, but he knew he couldn't make it the rest of the evening. David and Melanie would let him out for a few minutes to go to the bathroom, right? They had to. If he had an accident, they would probably just be more mad at that.

Kurt climbed the stairs slowly, his heart beating harder each time. The doorknob wouldn't budge, as he had expected, but he hoped if he knocked on the door quietly enough that he would be allowed out.

"Melanie?" he called, his voice quavering out of fear. He yelled a second time, louder and with the tiniest bit of confidence. He knocked on the door some more, and after several seconds of waiting anxiously, the doorknob jiggled, and turned with a click.

An older woman opened it up. She was in a sparkly dress, and Kurt assumed she was the "important company."

"Oh…" she said, clearly surprised to find a child in the basement. "David, you never mentioned you had children. What was he doing down there?"

Before David could answer, Kurt darted past the woman and up the stairs to his bathroom. He clicked the lock and leaned up against the door, terrified as David tried to twist the knob and pound open the door.

Kurt heard yelling downstairs, and knew he was going to be in big trouble. He wanted Miss Elizabeth so badly, especially then. She would never lock him up, would she?

David finally left Kurt alone, and joined in on the shouting match downstairs. Kurt tried to cover his ears to block it out, but he still couldn't relax. He hadn't meant to be bad; he just needed to go to the bathroom.

It was only then that Kurt realized he had had an accident. He panicked for a second, but then remembered was already in the bathroom. He could get cleaned up on his own.

Kurt washed up and changed into some slightly-dirty pants from his hamper. The house had grown completely quiet, until Kurt heard footsteps coming up the stairs. _David._

Kurt tried to be quiet as a mouse, but that didn't stop the person from knocking on the door. It was a soft tap, unlike how David had been banging on it earlier.

"Kurt? Are you in there? It's okay to come out, buddy. I'm a police officer."

Kurt knew they were good. But what if the man was lying? What if he was going to hurt him as soon as he unlocked the door?

"I want Miss 'lizabeth!" Kurt said, folding his arms. "Don't come in!"

There was a pause, and Kurt wondered if the man had left for a minute. "Mrs. Walden is coming," he bribed. "I just talked to her on the phone. While we wait for her we could go get something to eat. Are you hungry?"

Kurt had been too distraught all night to notice how empty his tummy felt. He still wasn't sure he trusted this guy, but he clicked the lock and cracked the door, anyway.

His jaw dropped at the sight of him. He had a uniform and a walkie talkie, even handcuffs and a _gun._

"Whoa," Kurt said. The cop smiled and knelt down in front of him. He looked kind, sort of like Mr. Burt, but a lot younger.

"Let's go to your room and get your things. Mrs. Walden is going to take you somewhere else tonight." Kurt looked down the hall, afraid David was lurking in the house still. "We're the only ones in the house," the officer told him. "You don't need to be afraid anymore."

That didn't stop Kurt from tiptoeing into his bedroom, though. He collected his picture books and movies from Miss Elizabeth in the paper grocery sack that Mrs. Walden had given him. He made sure he had the picture of Charlie, though. He couldn't leave without that.

The man took the bag from Kurt and held his hand as they went downstairs. The kitchen looked different, he noticed. A chair was knocked over, and the food was still on the table from dinner. Kurt wasn't sure how much time had elapsed, but the sun was just starting to set on the horizon.

"What do you want to eat?" the officer asked. "You can call me Nick, if you want. We can go to McDonald's, or you can just have some snacks at the station."

Kurt stiffened, and he pulled his hand away from Officer Nick's.

"The p'lice station?" he asked worriedly. That was where the bad people went. "Am I goin' to _jail_?" That was probably why Mrs. Walden was coming, to take him to jail.

"No, no," Nick promised, opening the backseat door for him. Kurt refused to get in. "You're not in any trouble, Kurt. David and Melanie are the ones in trouble. We're going to hang out at the police station until Mrs. Walden gets here. But while we wait, I need you to tell me what happened tonight. Do you remember what happened?"

Kurt nodded, although he wished he didn't remember. He had never been so scared, not even when his old daddy would hurt his mommy. Tears sprang to his eyes as he recalled the night's events, and he just wanted to be with Mrs. Walden and Miss Elizabeth again.

"Don't cry, bud," Nick said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Go ahead and get in. Is McDonald's okay?"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah," he sniffled. Nick buckled him in and handed him his bag of belongings.

He tried to savor his Happy Meal, since he had never had one before, but Kurt just didn't feel hungry anymore. He had gotten David and Melanie in trouble. They had been very nice to him when he first showed up, but now they were in trouble, and it was Kurt's fault.

Nick parked the police car and carried Kurt's things for him as they went inside the large brick building. Kurt was afraid of seeing David, but Nick took him down a quiet hallway and into a room.

"You can sit there." He gestured to a comfy looking spinny chair, across a desk from another identical chair. They were the only three things in the room. The bright fluorescents overhead made Kurt's eyes hurt, especially after all the crying he had done. The room was cold and scary, and Kurt wanted Mrs. Walden even more. He trusted Nick less and less.

"You're not in trouble, Kurt," he said. "You can keep eating your food. Mrs. Walden should be here in just a little bit."

Kurt looked down at his shoes. "I don't wanna talk 'bout it."

Nick frowned. "What?" he asked. "Talk a little louder, buddy. It's okay."

"I don't wanna talk about what happened," Kurt repeated, looking up at the officer with watery eyes. "It was scary."

Nick exhaled. "I bet it was very scary, but you're totally safe now. Mrs. Walden is going to make sure no one does anything like that to you again. If you can tell me what happened then we can make sure Melanie and David aren't able to do that again to someone else, either. Would you like to wait until Mrs. Walden comes to talk about it?"

Kurt nodded right away. Nick agreed to wait, and Kurt messed around with his little plastic McDonald's toy until he grew bored with it, and tossed it into the bag next to his books.

When his social worker finally showed up, Kurt breathed a sigh of relief. She gave him a brief hug, and since there weren't enough chairs in the room for the three of them, Kurt got to sit on her lap.

"Whenever you're ready, Kurt," Nick said, once Kurt was settled.

Kurt didn't know where to start from, so he took a moment to collect his thoughts before explaining the terrifying night. He went into detail about how he wasn't ever allowed to run errands or make calls, and how David told him the guests didn't know Kurt was with them. He made sure to include how he hurt Kurt's arm, because it was still bothering him a little bit when he moved his elbow.

He described the basement as best as he could, how hot and dark it was. Kurt explained how he got too sweaty and needed to use the bathroom, and how the woman opened the door for him, and Kurt hid in his bathroom until the police came.

By the time he was done, tears dripped off his chin, and Mrs. Walden brushed them away with the pad of her thumb. Nick had a tape recorder, but Kurt didn't realize it until after he was finished.

"I wanna go to Miss 'lizabeth's house," Kurt mumbled, sticking his thumb in his mouth and leaning his tired head back against Mrs. Walden's shoulder.

"Tonight we'll drive back to Lima," she told him. "In the morning we'll see about going to her house, though, okay?"

Kurt nodded, and as tired as he was, he was excited to see her again.

"That's all we really need to do," Officer Nick told Mrs. Walden. "Unless his arm seems to be bothering him, there's a clinic up the street we can take him to. But you're free to take him. We'll be in touch in the next few days."

Mrs. Walden thanked the cop, and Kurt watched as he left the room. They both stood, and she walked Kurt out to her car. It was pitch black by then- far past Kurt's bedtime.

"Go ahead and get comfortable," the woman ordered. "The drive will take a few hours."

Kurt nodded his head, even though he didn't know exactly where they were going. Mrs. Walden gave him his blanket from his bag, and let him get comfortable in the backseat. Kurt still felt too nervous to sleep. He heard Mrs. Walden talking on the phone for almost the entire drive, but Kurt wouldn't have wanted to talk to her much, anyways.

He closed his eyes, and next thing he knew the car was stopped. His door was open, and a figure stood by him.

"Kurt? Come on, dear," Mrs. Walden coaxed quietly. "We're staying at a hotel tonight."

Kurt had never been inside of a hotel before, but it looked fancy. He was too tired to enjoy it properly, though. He dragged his blanket in behind him, sticking close to Mrs. Walden the entire way up to their room. Kurt got his very own bed next to the window, and he fell back asleep without another word.

* * *

"I'll be good!" he cried for the hundredth time, his throat dry and raw from crying so much. They didn't stop, though. David, Melanie, and his old mommy and daddy all laughed as Kurt tried to escape, but his hands were tied to the wall. He was back in the basement, but this time he was pinned against the wall, and the adults he thought he trusted were all mocking him.

"Let me go!" he pleaded again. His efforts were useless. He wasn't strong enough to fight back, and no one could help him.

No one, except for the people at the top of the staircase.

"Mr. Burt!" Kurt screamed, both from terror and relief. "Mr. Burt, come help! Miss 'lizabeth!"

They seemed confused, and Kurt knew they couldn't hear him. He tried to yell louder, but Melanie suddenly slapped him across the cheek, cutting off his cry. Kurt quieted for a brief second before screaming for them again, until his voice was gone and he couldn't defend himself any longer. He gave in to the taunts from the people he thought were his parents, until Kurt felt a pair of saving hands on his shoulders, and his eyes flew open.

* * *

"Kurt, _Kurt_ , it's okay," Mrs. Walden said, shushing Kurt as he immediately burst into tears from his nightmare. She placed his beloved blanket in his arms, which he accepted, still terrified.

"You're okay," she said, over and over again until Kurt managed to draw in a shaky breath. He clutched his blanket tighter, and finally sat up, looking around the hotel room curiously.

"I talked to some people last night in the car," Mrs. Walden told him with a cheery smile on her face. Kurt didn't see why that was so exciting. "How would you like to go to Miss Elizabeth and Mr. Burt's house?"

Kurt's initial excitement was quickly replaced with worry. They hadn't saved him from his nightmare. What if they turned out to be like David and Melanie, nice and kind at first, but then turning into the people that hurt him? He wasn't so sure he wanted to go with them anymore.

Kurt nodded his head, though, eyes wide as Mrs. Walden explained things further to him. He would rather be with them than another family like David and Melanie. He would just have to get used to them again, before jumping to conclusions. Kurt trusted in the back of his mind that they would never hurt him, but he just couldn't be too careful anymore.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Here you go! This was my favorite chapter to write, just to have a fresh perspective, from Kurt's point of view. It was interesting to write like a five year old would think. I hope you like it! Let me know, y'all.


	9. Chapter 9

Saturday morning was filled with excitement and anxiety for the Hummel family. Elizabeth couldn't sit still; she kept trying to make the house look even more perfect, and was practically like a little child glued to the front door waiting for Mrs. Walden's car to turn the corner.

When her navy sedan _finally_ pulled into the driveway, she was tempted to go outside to meet them, but Burt convinced her to stay inside. They didn't want to overwhelm Kurt.

The doorbell rang, and the two of them rushed to answer it together. Mrs. Walden seemed to be alone at first, until Kurt poked his head out from behind her.

Elizabeth right away bent down and opened her arms for a hug from him. Kurt shuffled over to her, looking tiny in his too-big, wrinkled clothes. He wrapped his arms around her neck and clung to her as the social worker came inside.

"He hasn't slept very well the past two nights," she explained quietly. "He's still very upset from the other night, so I think a quiet day would be best for him."

Elizabeth picked Kurt up and carried him into the living room. He felt much lighter than she remembered.

"I missed you," she said, bringing Kurt over to the couch. Kurt didn't reply, and he scowled the whole time, looking like he was going to cry.

Charlie came running down the stairs from all the activity, and he immediately came over to see who the new guest was. Kurt shrieked when he jumped on the couch, and tried to scoot away from him.

"It's okay," Elizabeth told him. "It's just Charlie. Remember how much you wanted to meet him? He's very friendly."

"No!" Kurt panicked, kicking the dog off the couch. Elizabeth figured he didn't know how to treat animals properly, but she brushed it off and focused on Kurt's needs first.

"What happened on Thursday?" Burt spoke up, keeping his voice quiet. Elizabeth was wondering the same thing, but didn't want to ask with Kurt right there. She tried to listen as she distracted Kurt by going through his belongings with him.

"The police call came from a neighbor that was over for dinner. Kurt was kept in the basement for the afternoon. The foster parents didn't want anyone to know they were keeping a child. He was locked in there with nothing to eat or drink, and the neighbor finally found him and let him out and called the police."

Kurt wrapped his arms tighter around Elizabeth's neck, and she rubbed his bony back to relax him. She tried to smile at him, but inside she had a myriad of questions for the social worker. Who in their right mind would lock up a child? Especially in a hot basement all day?

"You think he needs to… see someone?" her husband asked, the slightest amount of hesitance in his voice. The thought of sending Kurt, _five-year-old_ Kurt to a therapist was too much for Elizabeth. She hugged the child closer, and he buried his face in her shoulder, uttering the slightest of whines.

"If he doesn't seem to come around after a while, then I would consider it. I know some wonderful child specialists that could really help him out, but I think he'll be okay."

"And he's ours now, right?" Elizabeth blurted out. She couldn't help herself. The last several weeks had held so much uncertainty. "This is permanent?"

Mrs. Walden nodded, and Elizabeth felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Kurt didn't have to worry about abusive parents anymore, and they didn't have to stress over whether or not he was okay.

"The final court date should be in about six months, but of course I'll drop in between now and then. I'll try to come by in a week or two to see how he's adjusting. But he's all yours now."

Elizabeth couldn't help but give the woman a hug before she left, and she thanked Mrs. Walden for all her help throughout the last several months. It felt unreal that they were _actually_ parents.

Once Kurt said goodbye to her, it was just the three of them, alone as a family for the first time. The child refused to leave Elizabeth's lap, and he seemed exhausted, but too stressed to sleep.

"Kurt, do you want to lie down?" she asked. "After you get some rest we could go for a walk, maybe?"

He didn't respond, but tucked his blanket in the crook of his arm and stuck his thumb in his mouth as he forced his eyes to stay open.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Burt tried. "We have cereal and pancake mix. You hungry?"

Kurt shook his head slightly and hid his face in his blanket. Elizabeth tried to coax him into going to sleep, but Kurt refused to shut his eyes.

Burt went up to Kurt's room to put away his few belongings, but Elizabeth stayed on the couch with him. He refused to rest, but at least he was willing to be with them.

The first morning was extremely laid back. Of course, they were both overjoyed that Kurt was finally theirs, but they both quickly grew concerned that he wasn't speaking, and seemed uninterested in everything.

By lunchtime, Kurt had finally dozed off in Elizabeth's arms, and she tucked him in on the couch to keep an eye on him while she prepared lunch for three in the kitchen. Kurt's desperate cries were what alarmed her.

Burt was already trying to calm him down by the time Elizabeth made it into the living room. She picked Kurt up and held him in her arms, shushing him and trying to calm him down quickly.

"It's okay," she said in his ear. "It was just a nightmare. Just a bad dream. You're okay, sweetheart."

Kurt stopped crying quickly, but he wouldn't let Elizabeth put him down, so she finished making lunch with him sitting on the counter next to her.

"You can eat your sandwich on the couch," she told him. "Maybe if the ice cream truck comes around later you can get a treat."

Kurt nodded slowly, but he couldn't even finish an entire sandwich. He ate four bites and refused any more. Elizabeth knew trying to force him to eat was a bad idea, so she let him be done.

After taking a brief inventory of what Kurt had brought with him, Elizabeth realized he had no other clothes but the ones on his back, and they didn't even fit right.

"Kurt, do you want to go to the store with us?" she offered. "You can pick out some clothes and toys. You can get whatever you want."

It was really a desperate attempt to get Kurt to open up a little more. Elizabeth knew his silence wasn't just from the basement incident, but from five years of neglect finally coming to a head. He probably didn't know what to do, now that he had permanent parents that loved him to death.

Kurt responded by putting his shoes on, but he wouldn't leave the house without his blanket. Elizabeth was perfectly fine with that, as long as he agreed to go along.

She sat in the front seat so as not to crowd him, but Elizabeth and Burt both noticed how tiny Kurt was in the big seat of the truck. He was going to need a booster seat.

Kurt seemed to like being at the store, and he looked like he was in heaven when they made it to the boys' department. He took in everything around him, and Elizabeth wanted him to have fun picking out some clothes, but Kurt's awe quickly turned into guilt. He broke down into tears in the middle of the store, and Elizabeth took him outside to calm down while Burt stayed to shop for him.

"Kurt, why the tears? It's okay," she soothed. Kurt sat beside her on the bench near the store entrance, and she stroked his hair while he rested his head against her arm. She had to get through to him somehow.

"It's 'spensive," he whispered, looking down at the ground. "Mommy never let me get the 'spensive stuff."

Elizabeth was just so relieved that Kurt was finally talking that she couldn't focus on what he had said, but he was clearly upset that he was spending their money.

"Me and Mr. Burt want you have good clothes," she explained. "It doesn't matter how expensive they are. You can't wear the same outfit everyday, honey. Do you want me to help you pick out the ones you like? You can try them on if you want."

Kurt hesitated for a second, but then looked her in the eyes and nodded his head. Elizabeth walked back inside with him, and the rest of the shopping trip ran relatively smoothly, even though Kurt continued to only talk when it was required of him.

They purchased him a booster seat for the car, and so the drive home was better for him. Kurt quietly thanked both of them for his clothes, but left it at that.

Afternoon turned into evening, and unless Elizabeth forced Kurt to engage in something, he would just sit on the couch sucking his thumb.

"Kurt, do you want to help me make dinner?" she offered. The little boy leapt to his feet to join her in the kitchen, and he took his usual seat on the counter to help Elizabeth peel potatoes.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly, and she had even got Kurt talking a little more. He seemed to like to cook, so Elizabeth let him do as much of it by himself as she could. He appeared to be having fun, and managed to eat much more at dinner.

They sat around the table, which didn't seem so big anymore now that there were three people. Burt and Elizabeth both watched Kurt out of the corner of their eyes, and tried to get him to join the conversation.

"Kurt, tonight you can take a bath and wear some of your new pajamas," Elizabeth told him, trying to make it sound exciting. "If you want we could watch a movie on the TV, too."

Kurt nodded, not making eye contact as he ate his mashed potatoes. She offered him a cookie for dessert, but Kurt shook his head with a quiet, "I'm full."

Elizabeth then took him upstairs to give him a bath, but Kurt didn't want to get undressed. She didn't think he could do everything by himself, but she didn't know how to get him to cooperate.

"Would you rather have Mr. Burt help you?" she asked. "He can give you a bath. But neither one of us are going to hurt you, Kurt. You're not going anywhere, and we both love you. You don't have to go stay with any other families anymore. You're here to stay. No one else is going to hurt you."

Kurt raised his arms up, and Elizabeth let him sit on her lap on the edge of the bathtub. He scooted close to her, and tangled his fingers in her hair. Elizabeth had let it grow out over the summer, but was debating about cutting it short again.

"I like you better than the other family," he confessed quietly, as if she might be mad. "And my old mommy and daddy."

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Kurt and rested her cheek on the top of his head. All he wanted was to be loved, which wasn't hard for her and Burt to do. She was glad he no longer had to be fearful or scared, but of course it would take him a while to get used to his newfound safety.

"We're going to take good care of you," she promised, leaning over to turn on the bathwater. "We're not like the other people that have taken care of you. You know that, right?"

Kurt nodded with wide eyes. Love was a strange concept to him, but he let Elizabeth give him a bath and dress him in his pajamas without any other problems.

Kurt wanted to watch TV, since he had never seen one other than in the hospital, and even though Elizabeth knew there was no way he could make it through an entire movie, the three of them watched Toy Story, and Kurt curled up between his new parents, complete with his blanket and a glass of warm milk.

Sure enough, though, Kurt barely made it forty-five minutes into the movie before he was completely conked out, his head in Burt's lap. Elizabeth smiled at the sight, but knew he needed to sleep in his own bed. As much as she loved him, she and Burt had agreed not to let Kurt sleep in their bed, so she carried him carefully upstairs to his room and tucked him in, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead before plugging in his nightlight and pulling his door shut.

She returned to the living room, relieved they had made it through one entire day. It was still unbelievable that Kurt was finally there to stay. Elizabeth never thought the day would actually come.

"He still asleep?" Burt asked. Elizabeth nodded, already tired from the taxing day. They both went to bed early, but not after Elizabeth checked on Kurt three different times.

"He's not a baby," Burt teased. "He'll be fine. We'll hear him if he wakes up."

Elizabeth hoped he was right. Nothing would be worse than Kurt waking up and feeling all alone. She left their bedroom door open, just in case.

"Yesterday we thought it would be months," she pointed out. It was pitch black, and the only sound was the two of them breathing, trying to sleep. "Now today we're his parents."

"I'd rather wait three more months than find out he was locked up in a basement," Burt countered. "The kid's a wreck. He wasn't like that in the hospital. That must've really done something to him."

Elizabeth couldn't help but agree with him. There was no way of knowing how long it would take until Kurt was himself again, and as much as she didn't want to have to send him to one of the therapists Mrs. Walden had mentioned, maybe it would be for the best…

But they had to give it time. Kurt just needed to adjust. Elizabeth knew he was thankful to be there rather than in his old home, he was just so shaken up from the previous night that he couldn't really express anything he was feeling.

So they both went to bed, excited for many more days with Kurt, and optimistic that he could only progress from there. They were happy, and most of all, hopeful.

Well, that is, until the deafening screams erupted from their son's room, awakening Burt and Elizabeth at the same moment and sending them spiraling into a panic as they raced down the hall.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

HI sorry I didn't update last Sunday friends. The good news is this semester is almost over so I will soon have lots and lots of free time! While this story is already finished, I've been seriously neglecting my main drabble series. So it'll be nice getting back to that. Hope you liked this chapter!


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